Research Guides: Ethnomusicology: Recordings

Finding audio and video recordings

The following streaming audio and video databases are of particular interest to ethnomusicologists. See the audio tab in the main Music Research Guide for a full list of our streaming music databases.

Audio Databases

Music online: Contemporary world music This link opens in a new window
Streaming audio of music genres from every continent. Includes reggae, worldbeat, neo-traditional, world fusion, Balkanic jazz, African film, Bollywood, Arab swing, fado, flamenco, klezmer, zydeco, gospel, gagaku, and more
Music online: Smithsonian global sound for libraries This link opens in a new window
Sound recordings offering music, speeches, and drama from more than 160 countries around the world.
Archives included in this database include the Aga Khan Trust for Culture- an archive of Islamic music and culture; the Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology-an Indian-based resource; the International Library of African Music- touted as the greatest depository of African music in the world; and recordings from the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the Smithsonian Folkways Archive, including the complete recordings published by the Folkways label. Research into history, geography, literature, cultural diversity, and other subject areas can be expanded with the addition of the music and sounds represented in this collection.
DRAM This link opens in a new window
Streaming music recordings, including streaming audio, liner notes, and essays from important labels like New World Records, Composers Recordings, and others. Covers a wide range of music genres and performers.
Naxos Music LIbrary This link opens in a new window
Streaming audio access to large collection of CD-length recordings. Includes Classical, Jazz, World, Classic Rock, and Nostalgia music.
The online access includes program notes, cover artwork, tracklist, instrumentation and publisher information, libretti and synopses of more than 700 operas. Naxos Music Library features the complete catalogues or selected recordings of over 770 labels such as BIS, Capriccio, Chandos, CPO, CSO Resound, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Erato, Dynamic, Finlandia, Grand Piano, Hnssler Classic, Harmonia Mundi, Hungaroton, LSO Live, Marco Polo, Nave, Naxos, New York Philharmonic, Nimbus, Nonesuch, Ondine, Orfeo, PentaTone, RCA Records, Sony Classical, Teldec, Universal Classics, Vanguard Classics, Warner Classics, Warner Classics - Parlophone (former EMI Classics) and many more.

Ethnographic Video and Images

Ethnographic Sound Archives Online This link opens in a new window
Ethnographic Sound Archives Online brings together over 2,000 hours of previously unpublished historic field recordings from around the world, alongside their supporting field notes and ethnographers’ metadata, opening new paths for the study of music in its cultural context.
Ethnomusicology: global field recordings This link opens in a new window
This resource contains materials from cultural studies of music from across the globe. Produced in collaboration with the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive and the Ethnomusicology Archive at the University of Washington, the material in this collection includes thousands of audio field recordings and interviews, educational recordings, film footage, field notebooks, slides, correspondence and ephemera from over 60 fields of study.
EVIA Digital Archive (Ethnographic Video for Instruction and Analysis) This link opens in a new window
Unedited ethnographic field video representing a wide variety of geographic areas; religious, ethnic, and cultural groups; music and dance traditions; music performances, rehearsals, and other music events; and ethnographic interviews.

Documentaries and Feature Films

Academic video online This link opens in a new window
Academic Video Online includes a variety of video material available with curricular relevance: documentaries, interviews, feature films, performances, news programs and newsreels, demonstrations, and raw footage. Patrons will find thousands of award-winning films, including Academy®, Emmy®, and Peabody® winners. Academic institutions will find the most frequently used films for classroom instruction, plus newly released films and previously unavailable archival material.
Docuseek2 (Streaming Videos) This link opens in a new window
Educational streaming access to content from Bullfrog Films, Collective Eye Films, Icarus Films (including The Fanlight Collection and dGenerate Films), Kartemquin Films, Scorpion TV,Sincerely Films, Terra Nova Films and Villon Films.
UO users may preview and license content online.
Kanopy This link opens in a new window
Offers streaming access to a large variety of documentary and feature films. Major subject areas include the arts, business and training, media and communication, natural sciences and social sciences. Kanopy is limited to UO students, faculty, and staff. A DuckID is required for access both on and off campus.
PBS video collection This link opens in a new window
Documentary films and series covering history, science and technology, diversity studies, business, and current events

Searching for audio recordings in the UO Libraries Audio Collection

Knight Library is home to a large collection (~45,000 items) of audio material on compact disc, LP record, and cassette. All audio materials are housed in the Douglass Room on the 3rd floor of Knight Library. During Fall 2020, the Douglass Room is not open to the public due to COVID-19 safety restrictions. You can request material from our audio collection by placing a request in LibrarySearch and the items will be brought to the main checkout desk for you.

To search for recordings of ethnographic, folk, or world music in our physical audio collection, try using the Advanced Search function in LibrarySearch to add more nuance to your search. If you are searching for music in a particular ethnic tradition or genre, try putting that term in a Subject field. If you are searching for music by a particular performer or group, search for them in the Author/Creator field. You may want to limit the overall search Scope to UO Libraries to see only our physical and online recordings, since Summit service is currently somewhat limited. Finally, limit the Material Type to Audio to see only audio recordings and cut out books, articles, or films. (This will search for both physical recordings and streaming audio content.)

Here is an example of a search for recordings of a particular genre of music, using the Subject field:

Here is an example of a search for recordings by a particular performer, using the Author/Creator field:

Music and Dance Librarian

Ann Shaffer

She/Her/Hers

Email Me

Contact:

Pronouns: she/her/hers

During the 2024-2025 school year, I am offering virtual appointments Mondays through Fridays, and in-person appointments on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

541-346-1850

Subjects: Dance, Music